Insulation board

Abstract

An insulation board includes an array of elements such as domes, pyramids, or frustrums coupled to a top surface of a body. These elements are arranged to lie in rows and columns to define fluid flow passageways to promote fluid drainage away from a building containing the insulation board.

1 . An insulation board for use in construction and provided for fluid drainage away from a building, the insulation board comprising: 
 a body having a top surface and a bottom surface,    frustums coupled to the top surface of the body, each frustum having a base portion coupled to the top surface of the body and a tip portion spaced apart from the top surface of the body, and    fluid flow passageways positioned to lie between the frustums.    
     
     
         2 . The insulation board of    claim 1   , wherein the base portion and tip portion of each frustum includes four sides and each frustum further includes four angled side walls positioned to extend from the base to the tip.  
     
     
         3 . The insulation board of    claim 2   , wherein the frustums are arranged in rows and columns and the base portion of each frustum is positioned to lie adjacent another base portion to cause the passageways to be “V-shaped” and defined by the angled walls of the frustums.  
     
     
         4 . The insulation board of    claim 2   , wherein the body and the frustums are made from expanded polystyrene.  
     
     
         5 . The insulation board of    claim 1   , wherein the base and tip of each frustum is generally circular.  
     
     
         6 . The insulation board of    claim 2   , wherein the base portion includes a width, W1, and the peak portion includes a width, W2, and wherein W1 is greater than W2.  
     
     
         7 . The insulation board of    claim 6   , wherein W1 is twice the value of W2.  
     
     
         8 . The insulation board of    claim 6   , wherein W1 is one inch and W2 is one-half inch.  
     
     
         9 . The insulation board of    claim 1   , wherein the insulation board further includes a ship-lap edge coupled to the body, the ship-edge being adapted to abut a ship-lap edge of another insulation board.  
     
     
         10 . The insulation board of    claim 1   , wherein the body of the insulation board has a thickness, t, and each frustum has a height, h, and wherein t is greater than h.  
     
     
         11 . The insulation board of    claim 10   , wherein h is at least ¼ of an inch.  
     
     
         12 . The insulation board of    claim 10   , wherein an overall thickness, T, of the insulation board is equal to t plus h and wherein T is 2 inches and h is at least ¼ of an inch.  
     
     
         13 . The insulation board of    claim 1   , wherein the tip of each frustum is adapted to abut the building to position the body of the insulation board in spaced-apart relation to the building.  
     
     
         14 . An insulation board for above-grade use is provided for the drainage of fluids away from a building, the insulation board comprising: 
 a body having front surface and a back surface,    an array of domes coupled to the front surface of the body and adapted to face toward the building, and    flow passageways defined between each dome.    
     
     
         15 . The insulation board of    claim 14   , wherein the domes are positioned to lie in alternating rows.  
     
     
         16 . The insulation board of    claim 14   , wherein the each dome includes a base coupled to the front surface of the body and an apex adapted to lie adjacent to and in contact with a portion of the building.  
     
     
         17 . An insulation board provided for fluid drainage away from an exterior portion of a building, the insulation board comprising: 
 a body having a top surface and a bottom surface, and    protrusions coupled to the top surface of the body to form flow passageways therebetween, each protrusion having a base portion coupled to the top surface, a tip portion spaced-apart from the base portion, and a side wall coupled to the base portion and the tip portion and formed to converge inwardly from the base portion to the tip portion.    
     
     
         18 . The insulation board of    claim 17   , wherein the protrusions are frustums positioned to lie in rows and columns.  
     
     
         19 . The insulation board of    claim 18   , wherein the frustums and the body of the insulation board are made of expanded polystyrene.  
     
     
         20 . The insulation board of    claim 18   , wherein the base portion and the tip portion of each frustum are square-shaped and wherein each frustum includes four angled side walls coupled to the base portion and the tip portion.  
     
     
         21 . The insulation board of    claim 18   , wherein the base portion of each frustum is round in shape.  
     
     
         22 . The insulation board of    claim 17   , wherein the base portion of each protrusion is round and each side wall is dome-shaped.  
     
     
         23 . An insulation board for use with a building to provide water-drainage, the insulation board comprising: 
 a body including a front surface an da back surface, and    protrusions coupled to the front surface of the body to form flow passageways between each protrusion, the protrusions each including a base portion coupled to the front surface of the body and a tip portion spaced-apart from the body, a cross-section of each tip portion taken through a plane parallel to the top surface of the body having a smaller surface area than a surface area of a cross-section of each base portion taken through a plane parallel to the top surface of the body.    
     
     
         24 . An insulation board is provided for draining fluids away from a building, the insulation board comprising: 
 a body having top surface and a bottom surface, and    an array of right cylinders coupled to the top surface of the body, the right cylinders being positioned in spaced-apart relation from one another to define flow passageways therebetween.    
     
     
         25 . An insulation board is provided for draining fluids away from a building, the insulation board comprising: 
 a body having top surface and a bottom surface, and    an array of alternating pyramids and blocks coupled to the top surface of the body and positioned in spaced-apart relation to one another to define flow passageways therebetween.